A mum confronted an irrational fear when she sacrificed her hair to help youngsters fighting cancer.

Steph Bowker, 24, of Birdsedge, had her long brunette locks cropped into a stylish bob for the Little Princess Trust which turns real hair into wigs.

However it was something of a trial for mum-of-one Steph, who had vowed never to cut her hair short again after a disastrous trip to the hairdressers at the age of 10.

The charity sends hair donated from around the UK to China to be made into wigs, which are then given to children back home for free.

Steph, who has a seven-month-old son Riley, said: “It’s something that I’ve been terrified of doing for such a long time because when I last had my hair cut short it looked like a massive bird’s nest!

“But then I was watching ITV’s This Morning and saw an interview with the trust, and realised what a difference donated human hair can make to children who are suffering from hair loss as a result of cancer treatment.